


Surprise!

by Hayleekins



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged Up, Angst, F/M, Fluff, but its a happy ending, more angst than fluff, sex happens but it's never explicitly discussed, they're 18 here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-14
Updated: 2017-01-14
Packaged: 2018-09-17 09:25:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9315356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hayleekins/pseuds/Hayleekins
Summary: Ladybug can’t wait any longer. It’s been four years since she and Chat Noir became partners, one month since they started dating, and three days since she decided she needed to tell him her secret.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I know it's a liiiiiittle bit too late, but Merry Christmas polkadotsdesign! Hope you enjoy your secret santa gift! I hope it's everything you're looking for and that it's worth the wait!
> 
> Also, major thanks to my best friend Krysten for beta-ing this, she's an honest to god lifesaver sometimes <3

“Today’s the day,” She said softly, affirming the thought that had been swimming in her mind all night. _Today’s the day to tell Chat._ Her stomach churned with a giant ball of nerves mixed with something else, making her nauseous. She rolled over in her bed, thinking over exactly what she was going to say to her partner. Although they had been superhero-ing together for the better part of four years, Marinette still worried over what he was going to say, what he would think. He’d certainly be surprised… Her stomach churned again, filling Marinette with doubt. Maybe he’d be better off not knowing…

But she had put it off long enough. He was her partner, it was time for him to know the truth. The next time she saw him, she’d tell him.

Of course, she had intended on not seeing him until patrol that night. What Marinette was not prepared for was the large crash resounding from somewhere outside her bedroom window, and the shrill screams which followed it. In Paris, that could only really mean one thing. Akuma. Marinette groaned and rolled over to face her alarm clock. It was only six in the morning! Who the hell was awake enough to be pissed off at six AM?! Marinette made eye contact with Tikki, who was hovering close by with a sleepy look on her face. It looks like the akuma woke both of them up that morning.

“Do I really have to transform before I’ve even had my morning coffee?” She moaned, burying her head in her pillow. Tikki giggled and patted her chosen’s head.

“Come on Marinette! We need to fight this akuma, and then you can come back and nap.” The word _nap_ sounded so glorious to Marinette that it actually got her out of bed. The best way to wake up was with the promise of returning to the warm comforts before long. She climbed down from her bed, but immediately regretted standing up straight. Her stomach heaved, and for one precarious second Marinette thought she was going to be sick. Tikki looked on with concern.

“I’m fine,” She said, waving a hand at the little red god. “I just really need to get this over with.” The thought of talking to Chat Noir sooner than anticipated was causing her anxiety to reach maximum levels. She wasn’t ready! She hadn’t thought up every possible outcome yet! She hadn’t rehearsed what she would say, how she would say it. What happened if Chat rejected her? She shook the thought away. After spending the last four years together as partners, and the last month together as _partners_ , the idea that he would suddenly stop loving her was foreign. She knew better than that. But a small part of her still worried about whether or not he’d want to keep seeing her, after the bombshell she was about to drop.

“I’m fine,” She repeated sternly. She shook the thoughts out of her head and turned towards her Kwami. “Tikki, spots on!”

One transformation sequence later, and Ladybug was bounding over the city of Paris, her trusty yoyo carrying her above the streets and buildings. She headed towards the area with the most destruction, figuring that’s where she’d either find her partner or her foe. She wasn’t sure which one she was more anxious to see.

The Eiffel Tower was a prime location for akuma terrorization, as it was a landmark that everyone knew Ladybug loved. If you wanted to get her attention, the easiest way was by defacing her favourite monument. It was one of the reasons Ladybug had always been so vehement about keeping all aspects of their identity hidden from even her partner. The more they know about you, the more they can use against you. Somehow, one of them had let slip that defacing the Eiffel Tower was a travesty against Paris itself, and before long it became a sort of calling card for Ladybug action. As she touched down in the Champs de Mars, Ladybug pondered her decision to tell Chat again. She had always thought it was safer, smarter, better to keep all aspects of her life separate from Chat’s. But that had all changed after the first kiss, then the second kiss, and the third and fourth. Realizing she had fallen in love with her _minou_ changed her entire mindset. She just had to tell him.

As if summoned by her thoughts, a black-clad figure dropped down next to her.

“Someone needs to tell Hawkmoth that akumas need to be made some time after nine in the morning.” He said with a large yawn and a stretch, reminding Marinette of a cat stretching out in the sun. She stifled her giggles behind her hand. “It’s an outrage really, interrupting my perfectly nice cat nap.”

“Tell me about it,” Ladybug said, purposely choosing to ignore his pun. “Some people need their beauty sleep.”

“Not you, my lady,” Chat said, turning to face his girlfriend. He pulled her hand to his lips, grazing his mouth against the back of her gloved hand. “You could never look more radiant.” Ladybug felt her cheeks radiate with heat, and she hated how Chat had the ability to make her blush now. Before the first kiss, she had always been able to brush off his flirtations as part of his act. But after seeing the genuine intensity of it, it never failed to make her heat up like a tea kettle. She had to tell him she had to tell him she had to tell him. Her stomach churned again violently. “You look especially glowing today love, is it-”

Ladybug cut him off with a flustered wave, dashing over to a nearby hedge and unloading the contents of her stomach. Her flight through Paris had left her dizzy and nauseous, and the ball of nerves, which sat coiled up in a large ball in her stomach, was about the only thing she didn’t throw up.

“Sorry, was that a little too cheesy for you?” Chat asked, rubbing calming circles on her back while she remained hunched over the defiled bit of shrubbery. She braced her hands on her knees. This revelation was supposed to wait, was supposed to happen after they finished the akuma and actually had tie to talk. It wasn’t supposed to happen in the middle of the Champs de Mars, with a vomit covered bush in the background. But the layer of concern in Chat’s voice and the loving way her rubbed her back was too much for her. She had to do it now.

“Chat, I’m pregnant.”

 

There was a beat of silence where Marinette was too afraid to turn around and look at Chat. His hand had stilled on her back, remaining a heavy weight on both her back and her conscience. She straightened up, despite her stomach’s protests, and turned to face Chat. His eyes were wide with shock. Marinette waited with bated breath as the shock began to wear off. She watched him blink a few times before his face erupted into a wide grin. The surprise was overtaken by a look of pure, unadulterated happiness.

“Really?” He asked, but not in a disappointed or resentful way as Marinette had feared. He sounded hopeful. She felt her heart squeeze painfully. “Are, are you serious? Ladybug…” His eyes shouted his fondness for her as he wrapped her in a huge hug. She could hear him giggling in her ear. “Ohmygod. I’m going to be a dad.” Marinette’s heart stopped working for one, painful moment. She opened her mouth to say something, but Chat had continued. “Oh LB you have nothing to worry about, my father can help take care of all expenses. I mean, he won’t exactly be thrilled to be a grandpa already but he’ll get over it as soon as he meets you! He’s going to love you, holy shit. We can move in together, we can rent somewhere for now or maybe we can buy a house! I can’t believe we’re going to start a family together Ladybug, oh my god!” As Chat continued rambling, Marinette’s heart continued to thud painfully in her chest. She pulled away from him, silencing him with a look.

“Chat…” She said, not sure how to continue. What was she supposed to say to him, when he was responding like this? She had expected him to be supportive, sure, but _this_? This was something else completely. Something that felt painfully like love.

“I love you,” He breathed, pulling her close once more, as if reading her mind. He pressed his lips to hers in what was supposed to be a soft, romantic kiss, but Ladybug had frozen beneath his lips. She pushed against his chest, feeling the tears welling up in her eyes.

“It’s not your baby.”

 

* * *

 

 

Chat’s whole world had been tipped upside-down, and it wasn’t even seven in the morning. As a model, he had been used to early morning shoots which required him to be up and pretty before the sun had decided to get up, but it had been years since he was subjected to the early morning shoots. As he had gotten older, his father had allowed him to decide some aspects of his own schedule, like which shoots he’d like to do and which brands he’d prefer to model. It wasn’t that Adrien hated or loved modelling, but he certainly enjoyed it a lot more when he could make his own decisions about it. The fact that it was still overseen by Gabriel’s personal assistant was a point that Adrien purposely overlooked.

This morning was something else though. Awaken by a noisy akuma, arguing with a stubborn Kwami who had grown far too used to sleeping in for something that claimed to be a god, and then had two bombshells dropped on him one after the other. He wasn’t sure he was really capable of going through so many emotions all in one morning. Annoyance at being woken up early after a late night spent thinking about his girlfriend, frustration with Plagg, smug satisfaction at convincing him with only one lump of camembert, despite having three additional ones stored up for bribing purposes – such as make out sessions with you superhero girlfriend while still in your superhero suit – and finally, the mess of emotions that said superhero girlfriend had dropped on him.

Her pregnancy was unexpected, but not in a bad way. Completely surprising, considering how they had been safe the first and only time they had ever been intimate like that. But he knew as well as any other teenager how contraceptives weren’t 100% effective, and sometimes mistakes happened. He shook the word out of his vocabulary. This pregnancy may have been a surprise for Adrien, but it never ever would be a mistake. Following surprise, Adrien had felt supreme joy. Almost bordering on ecstasy. Of course, the idea of parenthood and having to tell his dad and the whole concept of pregnancy was daunting and a little bit terrifying, but he couldn’t get over the euphoria of having a _baby_ , a living, breathing mixture of him and the love of his life. Half of him and half of Ladybug. A part of him, _living_ inside of her. Okay, that was bordering on incredibly freaky. But still awesome! Their future played out ahead of him, something he had only ever dreamed of. Now, it was becoming a reality.

At least, it was. Until she dropped the second piece of information. He knew something was off with the way she looked at him, the way the tears began to form in her eyes. He tried reaching out for her, but she only pulled away from him. He wanted to assure her he wasn’t disappointed, he’d never be disappointed, not when it was about spending his life with her. But then she said it. The words which rung in his head, driving him in circles. They… They didn’t make any sense. Ladybug was his _girlfriend_ , they had had _sex_. Didn’t that make it his baby? Did she mean that she didn’t want to raise the baby with him? That was what she meant, right? She couldn’t possibly mean that it wasn’t _his_ , biologically. Because, well, that would mean… It would mean Ladybug and someone else…

“Ladybug…” He started, but didn’t know how to continue the sentence. What was he supposed to say? “What do you mean, it’s, it’s not mine?” He didn’t want the answer, he already _knew_ the answer, but he didn’t want to hear it. He had spent _four years_ head over heels in love with the amazing woman in front of him. He had watched her grow, had grown alongside of her! He had lost all hope of ever getting her love in return, had tried to move on with someone else, but then it had happened! She had kissed him, and then kissed him again, and it never stopped. She loved him. They were _finally together_ , he was getting everything he had ever wanted. He had finally found someone who thought he was worthy of love. And now, she stood before him, telling him… Well, telling him there was someone else.

He watched the tears fall from her eyes, and his heart beat painfully. He wanted to reach out to her, wrap her in his arms and say it was all okay. But it wasn’t. This wasn’t okay, _he_ wasn’t okay. He could feel himself begin to shatter as she took a shaky breath, about to break down the dream they had created over the last month.

“T-the doctor says I-I’m six w-weeks.” She said, wrapping her arms around herself. The math was simple to do. Six weeks pregnant. They had only started dating a month ago, and they had only had sex two weeks later. There was no way. There was no possible _fucking_ way that the baby could be his. And his heart shattered. There was one silver lining that he’d find, after a while of digging through the pieces of his broken heart. At least she hadn’t cheated on him.

He was hit with the urge to assure her again that it was okay, everything was okay, but the words wouldn't come. He wanted to play the part he knew so well. The son who always agreed, who didn't bat an eye whenever he soul or spirit were crushed. The boy who smiled and assured everyone it was okay, that he was fine. He wanted to be the boyfriend who could wrap his arms around the girl in front of him and tell her it was okay, he would always be there for her. But something inside him was broken. He couldn't do it, he couldn't play the part. Not right now, while his heart was in pieces. So instead he clamped his mouth shut, trying to find the girl he loves inside the stranger standing in front of him.

 

* * *

 

 

Marinette remembered the exact feeling she had when the kind doctor had told her the estimate. About six weeks along, everything is looking fine, it’s too early to tell much about the sex of the baby. The baby. The thing, growing inside of her. The living thing that had been renting her uterus for the past six weeks without Marinette knowing anything. What was she going to tell Chat? But then it hit her. Six weeks. That wasn’t right. That didn’t add up. Her and Chat… Well, they’re relationship was _new_ , they had only been dating for a month, and the first time they… it had only been two weeks ago. Which meant only one thing. It wasn’t Chat’s baby.

The shame had boiled up inside of her. The fact that she had to try and figure out whose baby she was carrying brought out the female guilt trip of having more than one intimate partner in a period of time. She hadn’t done anything wrong, she tried to assure herself. She didn’t cheat on Chat. She would never, ever do that to him. And perhaps if she had noticed how deep and true his affections really were, maybe the original sex affair would never have happened. As it was, Marinette had had no idea how Chat felt. She knew that they would banter and he’d pretend to flirt with her. But it had always seemed so playful, so overly cheesy that it had to be fake. No one would seriously continue to flirt after four years of rejection. No one held on to a crush for that long…

Except for Marinette herself. The crush she had on one Adrien Agreste had continued despite the fact that he clearly didn’t reciprocate. She spent four long years pining after him, keeping track of his school schedules, trying to “randomly” bump into him every chance she could, with the hope that eventually he’d realize she was madly in love with him, while also realizing he had loved her all along, and he’d sweep her into his arms and kiss her madly. Of course, those sort of things only ever happened in Marinette’s imagination. Instead, with the prompting of Alya, the true MVP, Marinette learned the value of becoming Adrien’s friend.

It had taken far longer than it should have for Marinette to learn how to chill in front of the model. The stuttering stopped after a few months, but the constant blush had lingered for much longer. It got to the point where Marinette had thought her toes might fall off from lack of circulation, because of how much blood was constantly filling her cheeks. But once she began to relax, she really began to understand Adrien better. She could see that while he liked hanging out with Marinette, Nino and Alya, he still held himself back, as if shielding part of himself from the rest of the group. It was only when Marinette witnessed him laughing, unrestrained, for the first time ever, did she realize how reserved Adrien kept himself normally. It brightened Marinette’s spirits to continually watch Adrien become more comfortable with the group, to let a little more of himself shine through as time went on. Through the process of becoming his friend, Marinette learned that Adrien was a super dork, having read more Anime than any of the kids combined. He also was a bit of a nerd, with an absurd love of psychics which continued to baffle Marinette. He also made the _worst puns ever_ , which Marinette found herself _actually enjoying_. It was a learning experience for everyone that day.

But one of the biggest things that Marinette learned was that Adrien wasn’t interested in her romantically. He wasn’t interested in anyone that way, because he had a secret crush on someone else, someone who he loved dearly. He had confessed it one day after Nino incredulously asked why he’d turn down a date with a super funny supermodel he worked with. He got starry-eyed as he explained the girl that he loved, how he could never love anyone else while he was still enamoured with her.  Marinette had found herself agreeing wholeheartedly, staring sadly at Adrien. Alya and Nino watched the exchange with something akin to a second-hand-broken heart. Adrien was so in love with some mystery girl that he would never be able to look at anyone else like that. And Marinette felt the exact same emotion, but towards the boy who was so unavailable.

It was that day that Marinette realized she needed to move on. It had taken a while for her to think about Chat Noir that way, but once she had, she couldn’t stop. The way he made her laugh and smile, the way they kicked ass together, how they always seemed to work so well together. It was like they were synchronized to each other. And then Chat told her he loved her, and it was so genuine and real that she knew it. She knew it in her heart and soul that he was telling the truth, that he had been for four years, and that she needed to kiss him right now, that very second, or else she would surely die. Of course, neither of them died, but it was very nice first kiss.

Well, it was _their_ first real kiss, but it wasn’t Marinette’s first. Even if you didn’t count Chat Noir while he was under Dark Cupid’s spell, Marinette’s first kiss had already happened. The same night she lost her virginity, the night that created the living organism in her uterus.

She wanted to regret that night. She wanted to wish it never happened. She wanted to want to erase the night for existence. But she didn’t. No matter how many times she thought about it in the following weeks – and trust me, she thought about it _a lot_ – Marinette couldn’t bring herself to regret it. It was a night of _fun_ and _curiosity_ and _no strings attached_ , something which the 18 year old had desperately wanted. Life was stressful, and having one night to actually enjoy herself with someone else took a little bit of burden off of her shoulders for at least the night. Of course, six weeks later and double the burden was placed upon her.

Still, she couldn’t regret it. What had started out as an innocent, curious kiss, had turned into one of the hottest, albeit sometimes awkward, nights of her adolescent life. The only moment which could rival it was the first time she and Chat had made love, which was earth shattering and amazing. And while part of her had almost wished she had saved herself for that exact moment, another part of herself was happy, so, so happy that she had had a chance to practice all of this beforehand, had gotten all of the awkward anxieties out of her system with her first love tryst.

The only part that made her regret the night was the little love bundle currently sucking some of her life forces from her. She dreaded having to tell the baby’s father… Things had been awkward in the weeks that followed their exploration session, both of them agreeing that they’d rather pretend it didn’t happen. It was supposed to be no strings attached, right? So there shouldn’t have been any reason for awkwardness to linger! Except this was Marinette, and awkward should’ve been her middle name. She wasn’t sure how that particular conversation was going to go, but that some something to worry about later. Right now… Well, right now she was standing in front of a shell-shocked Chat.

The thing she regretted the most was that she was doing this to Chat. Who was looking at her like she just told him Christmas was cancelled. Like she just reported that all of his favourite ice cream was forever out of stock. Like… well, like she had just told him his girlfriend was pregnant with another man’s child. The tears streaking down her cheeks were burning her skin, furious at herself for causing the pain in Chat’s eyes. She never, _never_ wanted to hurt her partner like this. And yet here they were, standing in the middle of the Champs de Mars, with an akuma still on the loose somewhere.

She opened her mouth to say something, but Chat looked away, shaking his head. She could see him clenching and unclenching his jaw, as if trying to chew something that was very difficult to swallow. Finally he gestured to the Eiffel Tower, which was just as defaced as it was before the verbal and emotional bombshells dropped.

“We have an akuma to catch.” He said, his voice empty.


	2. Chapter 2

Ladybug had never seen her and Chat more out of sync. The particular akuma they were fighting – _I am the Graffitori, and all of Paris is my canvas! No law enforcement will cover up my art now!_ – was not one that would generally take the dynamic duo long to take down. The young girl was passionate and had the ability to create street art on any surface within seconds, but wasn’t really a tactical opponent. Perhaps if today was any regular day, Ladybug and Chat Noir would have been able to take the akumitized item (a purple spray paint can) in less than ten minutes. But today was not a regular day.

They had spent nearly an hour chasing the artist around Paris while different landmarks were tagged. First the Eiffel Tower, then the Arc de Triomphe, then Notre Dame, and finally the Louvre. There were no witty comments from Chat Noir, no playful banter between the two heroes. They barely said a word to each other for the majority of the fight, which definitely wasn’t helping their synchronization. It wasn’t until Ladybug finally got fed up and called upon her Lucky Charm that they could finally end the fight and restore the landmarks.

Ladybug did her best to comfort the recent victim, a young girl named Tori who had woken up this morning to find her beautiful mural covered by a slab of grey paint, destroying any remaining part of the artwork the girl worked so hard on. Normally Ladybug was good at talking to people, at understanding their woes and comforting them, but the superhero was distracted. Chat had his back to her, not bothering to offer a fist to bump. She felt the tears pricking her eyes again, and was almost relieved to hear her earrings beep.

“I… I should go,” She said, approaching Chat yet keeping her distance. “Um, I’ll see you tonight, for patrol?” She asked uncertainly. She hated feeling like this. Hated not knowing what was running through her partner, her best friend, her boyfriend’s head. Hated knowing she was the reason he was hurting so much, “I mean, we don’t to, if y-you… If you d-don’t want t-to…” Ladybug hated the way her voice quivered, how she stuttered out the last sentence. Ladybug was never supposed to stutter, that was a Marinette thing. It made her feel small and weak, nothing like the superhero she had become in the last four years.

“Ya, I’ll see you tonight.” He said, but his voice was cold and distant. They parted without another word. Ladybug’s heart sank when he bounded off, never looking back.

 

* * *

 

 

Marinette collapsed in her bed, worn out both physically and emotionally. It had been one hell of a morning, and it wasn’t even noon yet. She contemplated trying to nap, but the idea seemed impossible. As exhausted as she was, her mind raced with heartache and nerves. She had broken the news to Chat Noir, and that was… Well, it was done. She had told him, it was all out in the open. Now, it was time to tell the baby’s father. God that was one conversation she was _not_ looking forward to.

As she lied in bed, Marinette contemplated how easy it would have been to tell Chat he was the father. It would have saved them both the heartache of this morning. Maybe things would have been perfect, her and Chat and the baby. Except it’d be a lie. Marinette was good at keeping secrets, had kept the most important one for four, long years. But this secret, the father, was far too big to keep hidden her whole life. No, lying may have been easier in terms of telling Chat now, but it would only be exponentially more difficult in the future. This was for the best.

She couldn’t lie around anymore. As much as her body protested and complained that it was _too freaking early_ , Marinette’s mind was buzzing and she needed to do something. She couldn’t sit around worrying about the future, she needed to take action! She retrieved her phone from her bed where she had left it charging overnight. She opened her contacts and scrolled to one name in particular. Her finger hovered over the phone icon.

_This is not a conversation for over the phone_ , she told herself. Besides, she was horrible at making phone calls. She got all flustered and her words got turned around and she always ended up saying things she didn’t mean, or twisting her sentences up. No, calling was definitely not her forte, and not the way to tell someone that you were having their baby. She clicked on the _chat_ icon instead.

_You can’t tell him over text either!_ Her mind shouted at her.

_I know that! But I need to do this today._ She argued back. She typed out a quick message, sending it before she could second guess herself.

**From: Marinette Dupain-Cheng  
Hey, is there any way we could hang out today?**

Marinette was surprised at how quickly she got a response. Her phone vibrated in her hand, almost causing her to toss it off of her bed. She caught it at the last second, peaking at the reply while holding her breath.

**I’m free any time after noon :)**

 

* * *

 

Marinette had spent the rest of the morning with a constant ball of anxiety in the pit of her stomach. She didn’t bother trying to catch up on the rest she missed that morning, instead turning to stitching to try and clear her head. After poking herself five times, she finally set her needle and cloth down for good. Not only was the action not helping settle the ladybugs in her stomach, it was also proving to be a hazard to her health.

She tried to distract herself with her favourite Jagged Stone songs, playing the music far too loud. She attempted to focus on the lyrics instead of the task waiting for her at 1 o’clock in the Luxembourg Gardens, but it wasn’t working. She was halfway through the CD before her mother knocked on the trapdoor and asked her to keep it down, they could hear her music all the way down in the bakery.

She gave up shortly after that, and decided that if she was going to freak out about her meeting later on today, she may as well do it full-throttle. So she planned out how the conversation would go, the best and worst case scenarios, and then spent a good twenty minutes arguing with Tikki about the likelihood of burning down the Luxembourg was. Tikki reasoned that no matter how surprising the news would be, there was no worst-case scenario that ended with the entire park in flames all because Marinette was pregnant.

“And anyways,” Tikki reassured, patting her chosen on the head. “Even if the park does spontaneously combust, you could always just transform and put the fire out!”

“Thanks Tikki,” Marinette rolled her eyes, chuckling at the endless optimism of her Kwami. She was about to consider another possible worst-case scenario – this one ends with Marinette being kicked out of her _Terminale_ year at Lycée, with no friends and no job and no future – when her stomach rumbled. She looked at the clock on her desk and noticed with surprise that it was already after eleven, and she hadn’t had anything to eat yet. She decided to take a break from her constant worrying to make herself something for lunch.

She set about the kitchen to make herself a croque-monsieur, hoping that the task of preparing it would keep her mind busy. It worked relatively well, except for the fact that she got distracted momentarily – _oh my god Tikki what if he finds out I’m Ladybug?!?!_ – and ended up slightly burning one side of her sandwich. All in all, she would declare it a successful distraction, and eat her sandwich with pride.

Before she knew it, it was time to go. She wanted to make sure she got their early, so she could rehearse what she was going to say one last time. It had to be perfect. She just couldn’t mess this conversation up to.

Thinking about Chat Noir was a bad, bad, bad idea, something she had been avoiding ever since they departed. She preferred the anxiety over the heartache. She didn’t want to think about how hurt Chat was, and how she wasn’t sure if they were ever going to fix this. If she thought too much about how she may very well have ruined one relationship, she wouldn’t have the strength to potentially ruin another friendship. So she pushed him away, to the farthest corner of her mind. She had to focus on the task ahead of her.

She told her parents she was going out for a walk as she ran out the bakery door, barely registering their farewells over the sound of her blood pounding in her ears. It wasn’t a far walk to the park where she had planned her meeting, and it was a nice spring day that made for great walking weather. Of course, Marinette hardly noticed any of that as her mind was focused completely on the task ahead of her.

When she got to the park, she found a bench near the entrance and sat down to wait. Her phone said that it was 10 minutes to one, meaning she had a little time to wait until he got there. Perfect. Just enough time to freak out. She crossed her legs underneath her, twirling one pig-tail around her finger as she lost herself in thought. She would be the picture of cool and collected when he approached, would smile at him, greet him with a warm _Oh, hello, lovely day we’re having aren’t we-_

She was interrupted mid-thought by a tap on her shoulder. She jumped in surprise, squeaking loudly and managing to pull her own hair. She jumped to her feet before whirling around, chest heaving, heart pounding heavily.

“A-A-A-Adrien?” She cursed her stupid stutter. _So much for being cool and collected_ , she thought miserably. She tried to smile at him normally, but she had the feeling she resembled a maniac. “You’re early!”

“Hey Marinette,” He said with a small smile, rubbing the back of his neck. “Sorry I’m early, I just didn’t want to keep you waiting. I can go walk around the block a few times, if you’d like?”

“Really?” She answered too quickly, and immediately regretted the words leaving her mouth.

“Er, I was just joking,” He said sheepishly, shrugging slightly. “I mean, I can, if you’d like?”

“NO! Haha, no, sorry, I knew you were joking, _I_ was joking! Haha! So. Sit. We should?” Marinette wasn’t sure what her hands were doing as she overdramatically gestured to the bench behind her. God, she was acting like a nervous wreck! She was supposed to be better around Adrien, she had been making so much progress!

_A lot of progress~_ A dirty part of her mind whispered. _The natural progression of socialization; Finally able to make complete sentences around him, finally becoming comfortable I his presence, kissing and having sex, and then back to awkwardly unable to keep eye contact or form complete sentences again! Isn’t that how every teenager makes friends?_

Marinette banished the thoughts from her head as she and Adrien sat next to each other. The air between them was awkward, and neither of them knew where to start. Another moment of silence passed before neither of them could take it anymore.

“Look, I think I know what this is about,”

“I’m sorry this is so out of the blue,”

The teens blinked at each other, and Marinette gestured for Adrien to go first.

“Look, Marinette…” He said, rubbing the back of his neck again. Marinette noticed for the first time that there was a slight blush on his cheeks. “I know things have been weird between us. Ever since… Well… You know. I just don’t want that one night to change everything between us, you know? I want us to be friends. I don’t have a lot of those, and I hate the fact that because of me and my stupid, rash decisions, you and I can’t be friends again. Not like it used to be, at least. That’s never what I wanted. Marinette? Is everything okay?”

“No. No, everything isn’t okay Adrien.” Marinette felt the tears welling up in her eyes and she fought through them. Adrien’s words had poked holes in her composure and she wasn’t completely sure why. Was it the fact that he didn’t want to pursue anything with her? Was it that he regretted the night they spent together? Would he regret the child growing inside of her? Would he resent her? It was her worst nightmares come true. And it hurt. But more than that, it made her angry.

“I’m really sorry Marinette,” He said, seeing the tears in her eyes. He reached over to put a hand on top of one of hers, but hesitated. “Can’t we just pretend it never happened? For real this time, we can act like the whole night never hap-”

“No, Adrien, we _can’t_. Because it happened, and I don’t regret it!” Her voice was ragged and she hated how it sounded. It was better than stuttering though, so she powered through it. “We can’t pretend it never happened, we can’t go back to how it used to be. It’s never going to be like it used to be Adrien, and I’m sorry, I’m so, so, sorry. Because I’m. I’m.” She felt her anger dissipating as quickly as it had come. “I’m pregnant Adrien.”

 

* * *

 

Adrien’s brain has stopped working. He couldn’t process anything. His brain was on a constant loop of _I’m pregnant_ and _what the fuck._ He stared at Marinette, dumbfounded. Did he hear her right? Was this just some weird, déjà vu from this morning? Was he just imagining those words coming from Marinette’s mouth? But no, she had called him Adrien, which means that he wasn’t just reliving this morning. But that meant she was _actually_ telling him she was pregnant. Which means…

“Am I the father?” He blurts out. He wondered vaguely if he was supposed to say something else first, like congratulations, or sorry for knocking you up. He just couldn’t process past the immense déjà vu. What was the statistical probability that the only two girls he had _ever_ slept with both told him they were pregnant today? He cursed his horrible luck.

Marinette was nodding beside him. She looked unsure of what to say next. They sat in silence for another minute before she spoke.

“I’m six weeks pregnant, the doctor said. I know it’s a lot to take in right now. It… It took me a few days to process it to be honest. I wasn’t sure how to tell you… I know you want to act like that night never happened but this… thing kind of makes it difficult to do that. I’m really sorry Adrien, I- I never m-meant for this to happen. W-we were s-s-safe and everything!” Adrien listened as her voice warbled and the tears finally fell. He wanted to put his arms around her, to tell her it was okay, but he was too shocked to do anything. It was so much to take in all at once.

Six weeks, huh? What a coincidence. Didn’t Ladybug say she was six weeks pregnant too? Thinking of Ladybug sent a jolt of panic through his numbed brain. Oh no. _Oh no oh no oh no. What was he going to tell Ladybug?? How could he tell his girlfriend that he had knocked someone else up? Would she hate him? Would she still want him involved in her and the baby’s life? How the hell was he supposed to tell his father that he got one girl knocked up, and that he was also going to support his girlfriend and her baby which was most definitely not his?! Honestly, did the universe fucking hate him?_

“I don’t expect you to d-do anything, or s-s-say anything. I just thought you should kn-know. I know you regret th-that night, and I wouldn’t blame you if you h-h-hated me…” Her voice broke on the last sentence, and it shook Adrien back to reality. Marinette was fully breaking down at this point, trying to hide her crying face in her hands. Adrien pulled her into a hug and rubbed her back gently.

“Oh Marinette, I could never hate you,” He said softly. He tried his best to comfort the girl, while still feeling hollow inside. Of course he liked Marinette, could even maybe love her one day. He had thought about it back then, six weeks ago, when he first confided his heartache to her. Marinette was kind, and brilliant, and amazing. If he hadn’t been in love with Ladybug back then, maybe something else would have happened. But he was in love with Ladybug.

The world was cruel and unfair. The woman he loved was pregnant with another man’s child. The woman in front of him was pregnant with his child, but he wasn’t in love with her. It left him bitter and angry, but none of it was Marinette’s fault, and she didn’t deserve to be treated like it was. So he rubbed her back and tried his best to sooth her, until her sobs had subsided into sniffles.

“I don’t hate you Marinette,” He repeated. She was peaking at him through the gaps between her fingers. “And I don’t regret the night we spent together. I’m sorry it’s causing you so much pain, this must be much harder for you… But I’m here to support you. Whatever you decide, if you want to keep it or not, I’ll be here for you. Whatever you need.”

“You’re handling this... well?” She said softly, her voice a hoarse whisper. He smiled at her softly. If only she knew what was going on inside of him.

“To be honest, I’m just glad this one is mine this time.” If it was possible to pluck those words out of the air and shove each individual letter back down his throat he would have done it in a heartbeat. He realized he said the absolute wrong thing as Marinette’s face morphed into one of pure shock, with anger on the side.

“Wait, _what?!_ ” She shouts, jumping to her feet. Her hands are in her hair, her eyes wide and panicked. She looked almost appalled. “This time? _This time?! How many times has this happened to you?!_ ”

Adrien got to his feet quickly, throwing his hands up in defence, as if Marinette might try to punch him out. I mean it wasn’t likely, Marinette only ever hit someone when she tried to put her jacket on and used a little too much force, or that one time she tried to close her locker door and accidentally punched Nino in the face in the process. She wasn’t usually the physical fighter type, but with the comment he just made, he wouldn’t be surprised if a baby came and punched him.

“Haha no! What I meant was, um! Well, you see, I just meant that I’m super glad I can be a part of this kids life, you know? Like, um, I’m super glad we can raise this kid together? If that’s what you want?”

Marinette regarded him suspiciously for another minute, before she smiled at him shyly. “Do you really want to be involved?” She sounded so uncertain, it softened Adrien’s heart.

“Of course Marinette, if you’ll let me. I want to be here for you.” He pulled Marinette in for another hug, a proper one this time. She squeezed him tightly in response.

“You don’t have to make up your mind right now,” She said softly, pulling away from him. “Think it over, please. I don’t want you to regret this decision. I won’t hold it against you if you’d rather not get involved. I have… I mean, there’s someone… Just, if you don’t want to, I know someone who said he’d help. I think.”

Adrien’s brow furrowed as he tried to work out what she was saying. Someone else offered to help her with the baby? Well, that’s awful nice of them, but there was no way Adrien was going to let his kid down, nor Marinette. She shouldn’t be the one dealing with all of this, regardless of whether or not some other guy said he’d help.

“Please, just think it over.” She pleaded. “We can talk tomorrow. I don’t want to feel like I’m pushing you into anything. I’d feel much better if you would at least think about it.” Adrien closed his mouth before he could refuse. If it would make Marinette feel better, he’d do whatever she asked. So instead he nodded his head, squeezing her shoulder reassuringly.

 

* * *

 

The two parted ways shortly after that, finding that there really wasn’t much to say right now. Marinette wouldn’t hear anything he had to say about supporting her or the baby, but it was all he could think about. So instead, Adrien excused himself, saying he had to go get ready for a shoot later on tonight. It was sort of a lie – he didn’t have any shoot tonight, but he certainly had to get ready. He was supposed to meet Ladybug, and boy did they have a long conversation ahead of them.

He had told her he’d help support her and the baby, and he had meant it. Of course, that was before he found out it wasn’t his. The offer still stood, of course, but he hadn’t really told her that. In his defence, it was a little bit of an information overload. It still hurt to think about, but he had had some time to process it. Well, a few hours to process until Marinette had dropped another surprise on his lap. And now he needed to process that too.

Two girls, two pregnancies, two babies. Jeez, how did Adrien get himself into this mess?! Was his luck really that horrible? Don’t get him wrong, Adrien loved babies, and had always wanted to be a dad one day. It had almost become his mission, to be the dad for his kids that Adrien never had. There was no way Adrien would make his father’s mistakes. But that didn’t mean he was ready for _two_ pregnancies at once!

“You know, Ladybug never said you had to help her out,” Plagg butted in to Adrien’s thought process. “If it isn’t your kid, why worry?”

“Because she’s my girlfriend Plagg! This doesn’t change that…”

“What if the baby’s father wants to be involved? What, are all _four_ of you going to live in one big house? You, your girlfriend, her baby’s father, and your baby’s mother? It might get a little cramped in here!”

“Shut up Plagg!” Adrien pouted. He had never thought about that. Would Ladybug break up with him, so she could raise the baby with its real dad? Would she do that to him?

“You worry too much. This is why I say you should just stick to cheese! Cheese is never this complicated!”

“I just can’t believe it,” Adrien said, ignoring the annoying Kwami. “Six weeks. Plagg, does this mean that Ladybug was having sex with someone else the very same time that I was with Marinette?! Uhh, this is just too weird.” Adrien fell backwards onto his bed. He wondered if he squeezed his eyes tight enough, would he wake up and find it had all just been one weird dream.

“That is _quite_ the coincidence,” Plagg said, floating up to hover right above Adrien’s head. “Both girls six weeks pregnant… Both of them tell you the exact same day… Very _coincidental_ , isn’t it?”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Cheese is much less complicated.” Adrien said, waving his hand in front of his face, trying to shoo the Kwami away. Plagg rolled his eyes at his chosen, giving up and going back to his camembert.

“Well, at least you can see Ladybug tonight, maybe you can find out who the father is.”

“Why does that matter?” Adrien asked, sitting upright. The thought of finding out who else Ladybug had been intimate with was tempting… “Besides, she probably won’t tell me anyways.”

“It’s worth a shot, isn’t it? She’s going to have to tell you anyways, especially if he plans on being in the picture.”

“True…” Adrien hummed, finding it strange to actually agree with his Kwami for once. He laid back down again, wishing as he often did, that patrol would come sooner. It was daunting to have to have to conversation with Ladybug, and he knew it would be painful. But at least he would have some answers.

He closed his eyes and began counting down the seconds until he could see Ladybug again.

 

* * *

 

The feeling of a transformation wrapping around him was always empowering. The jolt of energy and power he received as he went from model son Adrien Agreste, to leather-clad superhero Chat Noir was still dizzying regardless of how many years he had been doing this. Something about super powers just never got old.

Chat Noir wasn’t generally the kind of cat to get anxious before battle, let alone a conversation. That was something Adrien worried about, the poor socially-inept teenager. Chat Noir wasn’t supposed to have those worries. He’d dive head first into battle without a second thought. So why was he hesitating now? He stood on the window sill of his room, wishing that the power from his transformation would carry on to him now. He shouldn’t be worried about talking to Ladybug, but he was. Today had been a rollercoaster of a day, and he doubted tonight would be any different. Ladybug could truly break his heart tonight, could reject him, or tell him she didn’t want him anymore. The thought terrified him, that he was so vulnerable to this amazing girl.

_Ladybug would never hurt me_ , he tried to assure himself. But she already had. She had broken his heart that very morning, a wound that continued to sting all day. _But she would never want to hurt me. She told me because she had to, because it was the truth. She would never purposely hurt me._ The thoughts were reassuring enough to convince Chat to let go of the ledge. He launched himself into the night, ready to face this battle head on.

She was waiting for him when he arrived at the Eiffel Tower. Her favourite spot had become one of his, only because it belonged to her. It was truly a part of her, and it only made Adrien love it, her, this city even more. He paused to admire her from afar; she was sitting on one of the inside beams, where the lights on the tower couldn’t reach her. If her suit wasn’t bright red, maybe she’d be able to blend into her favourite landmark. Chat took a deep breath before jumping over to land on the beam beside her.

“Something on your mind, my lady?” He asked, sitting down beside her. His feet dangled next to hers, and he considered reaching out and taking her hand. He hesitated before thinking better of it.

“It’s been a long day, kitty.” She said softly. He hated how exhausted she sounded. Was it because of the pregnancy? Was it because of him? Before he could overthink too much, she leaned her head on his shoulder.

“Want to talk about it?” He asked, placing his head on top of hers. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, enjoying the fruity scent of her shampoo. God, if they could just stay like this for a lifetime, he’d be more than happy.

“Well let’s see. I was dragged out of bed at an ungodly hour by morning sickness and an akuma attack. I had to break the news to my boyfriend, the sweetest, kindest kitty I know, that not only was I pregnant, but it wasn’t his baby. Which was horrible, and I hated every ounce of pain that I caused him. After chasing an akuma around for an hour, I had to go break the news _again_ to the baby’s father, and have a full-fledged breakdown in the middle of the Luxembourg Garden. Now I have to face the daunting task of meeting with my boyfriend again and prepare for him inevitably breaking up with me.” She paused for a breath, leaving Adrien stunned. “Sounds like a great day, doesn’t it?”

“Buggaboo, I’m not breaking up with you,” He said softly, nuzzling his nose in her hair. She had said everything so fast, almost on the verge of hysteria, but all he could really take out of it was her last few words. “How could you think I’d leave you? I love you. I want to help you, in any way I can.” He placed a soft kiss on her forehead. He was reminded of his conversation with Marinette today, and added, “I’m here to support you. Whatever you decide, if you want to keep it or not, I’ll be here for you. Whatever you need.”

Ladybug huffed out a wet laugh. Even without looking at her, Chat knew she was trying not to cry. Even when it was just the two of them, she was always trying to be brave and strong. “You sound like Adrien,” She sniffled, before stiffening up beneath him. They both realized what she said at the same time.

“I MEAN!” Ladybug exclaimed, scooting away from him, her wide eyes meeting his. “Um, I didn’t say Adrien. I said _a dream_. You sound like _a dream_. Ya! That’s what I said!”

Chat Noir wasn’t convinced. She had been so close when she said that, he had heard his name as clear as a bell. There wasn’t a shadow of a doubt in his mind that Ladybug had said his name.

_There are plenty of Adrien’s in the world,_ his brain reasoned. _There’s no reason she has to be talking about you. It’s probably just wistful thinking! Who knows, maybe she did just say ‘a dream’._

But she also said something about the Luxembourg Gardens. About being there _today_ and having a breakdown. In the exact same park that he, Adrien Agreste, had been at today. Where he was sitting with a girl, who was _also_ having an emotional breakdown.

_Was he so focused on Marinette that he didn’t even notice Ladybug was in the park at the same time?!_

_… or…_

Adrien liked statistics. They were easy to understand and use, and he always found them handy. So, statistically speaking, which was more probable: That two girls, both of which he had slept with were _both_ six weeks pregnant, or that his girlfriend and the girl pregnant with his child were the same person… All the thinking made his head hurt.

He stared at the girl beside him. Ladybug had hopped to her feet, balancing on the beam, looking at him anxiously. He realized vaguely that he had yet to respond to her, but he couldn’t stop looking at her. Same hair, same eyes, same height, same build. Six months pregnant. She said his name, his real name.

“Marinette?” The world stopped spinning for one precarious moment. Which way would it fall? Ladybug had gotten even stiffer, and for one terrifying moment Chat thought she might fall from the tower. Instead, she blinked at him, her eyes wide and slightly terrified. Chat waited for her to deny it. He waited for her to call him a _silly minou_ before brushing it off, continuing with their patrol like nothing had happened. As the silence had stretched between them, Chat was forced to face the truth.

“It’s you, isn’t it?” His voice came out in a hushed whisper, like the biggest secret in the world. Marinette was pleading with him with her eyes, but it was out there. The spell was broken, shattered into pieces, and suddenly he couldn’t _not_ see Marinette. The way her mouth gaped open and shut was _so Marinette_ that it hurt.

Ladybug gulped and nodded slowly. Chat’s brain couldn’t catch up fast enough. Ladybug was Marinette. Marinette was Ladybug. His girlfriend was both Ladybug _and_ Marinette. Marinette was pregnant with his baby. Ladybug was also pregnant. Ladybug and Marinette are the _same person_ and their _baby is the same_ meaning that Ladybug’s baby was… was actually his? The other man Ladybug had been intimate with was _Adrien Agreste_?! He was jealous of _himself_?! Adrien was trapped between feeling utterly confused and hopelessly happy.

He took a step closer to Ladybug, the smile on his face growing wider by the second. Ladybug was giving him a strange look, waiting for him to say something. He wasn’t sure what to say, how to say what he was thinking. So instead, never taking his eyes off of her, he called his transformation off. The air was chilly but it couldn’t penetrate through the heat radiating from his smile alone. Ladybug’s stare somehow got wider as she realized who was standing in front of her.

“Adrien?!” She sounded bewildered, and Adrien didn’t blame her.

“Surprise?” He said softly, standing in front of her, marveling at the _coincidence_. He pulled his girlfriend in for a kiss.

"It's you?!" Marinette gasped as she pulled away from him, as if the pieces were all, finally falling into place. "You're you, which means you're him? And we... so you... oh my god!" Adrien watched her with amusement.

"Surprise?" He repeated with a small shrug and a sheepish grin. She moaned and thumped her head against his chest.

"Please, _please_ , no more surprises today." She mumbled into his chest. Adrien chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her. He too had had enough surprises today to last him a lifetime.


End file.
